1 year, 11 months ago
What kind of foundation do I build in a cold climate for a house?
It's going to a small cabin 12x12 and needs to have big deck arou d so I was thinking to make the foundation a little bigger to support the deck too
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M$1 Answer
In cold climates, the building codes, will require you to go below the frost line. In the northern states, thats 48" inches deep. ( I would check with and comply to all building codes of the area, this can be done at the local building inspection office.)
Going beyond th frost line, keeps the moisture from pushing the foundation, Footings, or post holes up and down with the Seasonal freeze, and thaw. For a cabin, I would build off Post Hole style footings.
Rather than digging a foundation for the cabin that extends the length of the structure.
The footing size i would use is 48" deep by 18" inches diameter. Nine of those would suffice. As for the deck 48" inches deep by 12" in diameter. You can buy metal bracket to insert into the top of the wet cement, allowing the treated lumber to be properly secured. see - http://www.hardwareandtools.com/USP-Structural-Connectors-PA46E-TZ-4-By-6-Post-Anchor-u644593.html
You may also want to look into a Cinder block foundation, or a poured wall foundation. Studies show the cinder block foundation is as strong as a poured wall foundation, if the wall is reinforced with Rebar and back filled with cement. Also, going below the frost line is necessary for this application.
If you attach the deck to the cabin, be sure to use all the proper flashing required. A new-ish decking product to come out, is Deck2wall spacer. this eliminates the water problem with water behind the wood.
http://www.deckbuilderoutlet.com/deckinfo/DeckConnectors.htm
Going beyond th frost line, keeps the moisture from pushing the foundation, Footings, or post holes up and down with the Seasonal freeze, and thaw. For a cabin, I would build off Post Hole style footings.
Rather than digging a foundation for the cabin that extends the length of the structure.
The footing size i would use is 48" deep by 18" inches diameter. Nine of those would suffice. As for the deck 48" inches deep by 12" in diameter. You can buy metal bracket to insert into the top of the wet cement, allowing the treated lumber to be properly secured. see - http://www.hardwareandtools.com/USP-Structural-Connectors-PA46E-TZ-4-By-6-Post-Anchor-u644593.html
You may also want to look into a Cinder block foundation, or a poured wall foundation. Studies show the cinder block foundation is as strong as a poured wall foundation, if the wall is reinforced with Rebar and back filled with cement. Also, going below the frost line is necessary for this application.
If you attach the deck to the cabin, be sure to use all the proper flashing required. A new-ish decking product to come out, is Deck2wall spacer. this eliminates the water problem with water behind the wood.
http://www.deckbuilderoutlet.com/deckinfo/DeckConnectors.htm
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
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